Better resume/greater fighter: Floyd Mayweather or Barney Ross

Floyd Mayweather fought in a tougher era with better sports science, deeper competition, and sharper technique. His camp used things like heart-rate monitors, altitude training, cryotherapy, and precise diets none of which existed in the 1950s. The global population grew from 1.9 billion in 1920 to over 8 billion today, creating a broader talent pool with more countries producing elite boxers, raising the level of competition and making it more international. Size gaps are overblown too 1950s middleweights like Turpin and Robinson were similar in size to Floyd’s opponents like Canelo, who rehydrated to about 165 pounds, but still lost every round. Fouls like rabbit punches were illegal then and now but Floyd handled rough fighters like Maidana and Castillo pretty well. Techniques also improved through slow-motion film and data study, sharpening Floyd’s defense beyond the raw talents of old legends like Leonard or Armstrong. Overall I would say that Floyd stayed undefeated fighting better athletes under tighter standards, making his résumé stronger than the less-documented fighters of the past.

 

Could you see Mayweather being ranked number 1 P4P?

 

Probably not but I'd have him and Pacquiao in the my top ten. Most people have Ali and Duran in their top ten and imo both have way better resumes then those two.

 

Don't spout nonsense about Floyd overcoming deficits in here pal it won't end well for u.. let's use Greb for example .. Greb was blind in one eye, short reach, stood 5'8 & was basically a MW.. yet he beat ATG 47-0 LHW/HW Gene Tunney.. LHW ATG Tommy Loughran & 51-0 future HW contender Tommy Gibbons .. all 3 men had four inches in height on him, better eyesight & on most occasions outweighed him .. in an era when the gloves were thinner, the times were harder & the PEDS & IV drips were water, milk & eggs... all 3 are HOFers too.. Fighting a 5'8 Alvarez at a catchweight of 152lbs or an inactive & ageing ODH who by rights should have lost 3 of his last 4 fights at the time ain't quite on par pal.. today it would be like Canelo beating men like Usyk, Beterbiev & Bivol. That's greatness & overcoming a fkin disadvantage.. I don't care that you haven't seen footage of him, I know how good those 3 were & what beating them would take for a short MW.. Floyd on the other hand was such an insecure control freak he made his own division up because 2lb was too much for him.. that's how well Floyd would cope with replicating the escapades of past greats.. Four weight this, elite that.. Canelo despite being juiced to the gills got his arse boxed off by GGG twice.. a quite basic fighter who doesn't have one HOF quality fighter on his win roster. Don't lecture me on Canelo.. Alvarez would get taken apart by men like Tunney .. even though they're 'grainy & old'.. Go watch some Tunney pal.. he was exceptional.. even Ali thought so... & call me when Floyd gets close to overcoming those types of size combined with skill deficits .. & there's plenty more too.. Kid Norfolk for example.. Norfolk had 17lbs on him.. Mayweather ain't even close to the greatness of Greb.. 39 wins over top 10 rated fighters. 32 wins over Hall of Famers. 34 wins over champions.
In one year alone he earned 10 wins over IBHOF fighters.. going 45-0.. one year.. let that sink in. Ye you could argue fighters evolved over time but that's not the point.. greatness is innate it would transcend eras and Greb would evolve too.. & just in case u start citing old sparring/training footage of Greb as to his limitations..
Greb was nearing retirement in that footage, he was blind in one eye & he was sparring a retired boxer ATG Philadelphia Jack O'Brien who was in his mid 40s in this footage, so Greb wasn't trying to display his full ability.. Another thing to note is that they were filming for a newsreel, this meant they needed good angles on him. In the sparring, he was fighting one dimensionally to stay in shot, normally, (evident from many fight reports) he would be moving around his opponent, changing angles, but of course the film wouldn't capture him properly if he did that.

Hope that helps & covers all bases. Cheers , give my love to Floyd.

 

And I don't believe in a tougher era neither.

I don't think Maidana can be capable of outslugging Kid Gavilan,I don't think Castillo would crush Duran inside and whatsoever.

Every era is just the same,you've got the era's entire product,which'll expires after it ends,then you've got the all time pugilist that well...can fight on any era.

 

Show me a single real fight video of Greb beating Tunney, Loughran, or Gibbons.
Until you can, it’s just stories.

I can watch every second of Floyd’s career in clear footage. I don’t have to take anyone’s word for it. I can see him outclass champions, top contenders, bigger men, faster men, younger men.

If your "proof" is old newspapers and secondhand memories, not film, it holds zero weight next to a career that's fully documented in HD.

 

You’re confusing a few things. Nobody said Maidana would beat Gavilan, or Castillo would beat Duran. Individual matchups aren’t the point.

The point is the average fighter today is stronger, faster, better trained, and better fed than 70 years ago because of a bigger global pool, modern sports science, and nonstop high-level competition in both pros and amateurs.That doesn’t erase past legends. It just means today's baseline fighter is higher.
Greatness is about dominating your era against the best available competition under the hardest conditions.
Floyd fought in a fully globalized sport, under full video scrutiny, and never lost, no gaps to hide behind, no myths needed.
That’s why he's greater than people whose prime highlights live only in old stories and faded newspapers.

 

Hmm,average fighter? Alright then, that's quite understandable.

The newspaper take,I can take it.

 

Ross by 30 spots or more ..

 

Floyd would never have signed to fight Jimmy McLarnin or Tony Canzoneri...

 

The NBA changed the rules because of George Mikan...the first NBA superstar...

 

Harry Greb’s record sounds impressive, but it’s more myth than fact. Many of his “wins” were newspaper decisions, reporters’ opinions, not official results. With just 48 knockouts in 298 fights, some were likely closer to sparring than real bouts. No video exists, so we’re left with shaky stories and partial records. Floyd Mayweather’s 50-0 record is undeniable reality, every fight filmed in HD, judged strictly, with drug tests and the world watching. His greatness is proven, not guessed.Greb fought often, facing local fighters and a few champs like Tunney in a less regulated era. Floyd beat global stars in a tougher, verified system, never losing. Claiming a legend beats hard facts is absurd. Boxing has evolved, like warfare, modern generals with drones outclass Napoleon. Floyd’s era delivers real, documented dominance while Greb’s legacy is a foggy tale, propped up by nostalgia for a “better” past.

 

Regardless of who's resume was stronger, and maybe Barney's was, if they were fighting each other tonight, none of you talking up Ross would be betting on him.